-
TPS. 24 AND 25 N., R. 8 E.
By K. C. HEALD and KIRTLEY F. MATHER.
INTRODUCTION.
The greater part of the field work in Tps. 24 and 25 N., R. 8 E.
(see fig. 1), was done by K. C. Heald and K. F. Mather, assisted
respectively by J. Lee Bossemeyer and M. G. Gulley, instrument men.
Mr. Heald is in the main responsible for the work in the western
half of T. 25 N., R. 8 E., and Mr. Mather for that in the eastern
half. The areas mapped by the two geologists in T. 24 N., R. 8 E.,
interfinger intricately so that it is not practicable to indicate
the portion worked by each man. Certain small areas in the
southeast corner of this township were mapped by F. R. Clark
assisted by P. V. Roundy, and in some other parts of the township
J. T. Richards served as instrument man.
STRATIGRAPHY.
EXPOSED ROCKS.
The exposed rocks in these townships are all of Upper
Pennsylvanian age and include sandstone, limestone, and shale with
an aggregate thickness of about 500 feet. Sandstones and shales
predominate, but limestone beds recur in a number of different
zones between the top and bottom of the section. Certain of these
beds crop out conspicuously in many different parts of the two
townships. Generalized geologic sections indicating the nature of
the exposed rocks and the intervals between the successive beds of
sandstone and limestone are presented in figure 26. The vertical
intervals vary materially from place to place, but those recorded
in the sections are approximate averages for the region under
discussion. In general, there is a marked convergence of the
limestones above the Deer Creek limestone toward the south and, on
the contrary, a marked divergence between the Lecompton and Deer
Creek limestones in the same direction.
The geologic structure was determined from elevations taken on a
great number of beds. Some of these beds have only a very local
149
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150 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
development, but others may be traced for long distances. The
more persistent and helpful of these key beds are described briefly
below.
Okay limestone.—The Okay limestone is a thin bed, ,commonly
inconspicuous, occurring in the lower part of the Pawhuska
limestone, about 10 feet above the highest bed of the Elgin
sandstone and 50
Section of rocks .exposed •Section of rocks ekciosed between the
east and west sidle , between the east a lid west sides
of T25 N., R.8 E.,aboutthe/ of T.24 N.,R.8 E.,near the
scut!):•midd le of the township. martin .of the township
Shale'Li rnesto n(Cryptozoon- pea
'Limestone
Shale
Limestone
Shale
Limestone Shale
Limestone Shale
LimestoneShale
Dark-gray limestone Bird Creek limestone
Shale and sandstone.
Blue-gray limestone Run fi • . •meston Sandstone. and shale•
•.ez\iShale and sandstone Blue-gray limestone. = •;::th Shaleand
sandstone
Little Hominy limestonev _
Light-gray limestone Shale arid thin sandstone
Sandstone. Gray limestone •
Shale - .......... _ ...... Gray limestone a c hale 4N
o , Light-gray limestone Deer Creek limestone
Gray limestone a Shale and sandstone E
Shale and thin limestone ..z. • Limestone coShale. .._Limestone
u.)
S ale Orange-brown limestone ' nLimes one Shale. Shale.and thin
sandstone.
Limestone rt 1-it:1 Light-gray and brown limestone ro
Orange-brown limestone' Shaleand thin sandstone Shale and thin
sandstone Gray-buff limestoneOkay limestone
Shale
Massive sandstone I mest(Is
Massive sandstone and shale
Sandstone and shale •
= • Sandstone and shale Elgip sandstone
Shale and sandstone
Shale and sandstone 50 100 150 200 Feet
Oread limestone Shale
Wynona sand -tone •
Sandstone Shale
FIGURE 26.—Stratigraphic section showing rocks exposed in To. 24
and 25 N., IL 8 E.
to 100 feet below the Deer Creek limestone member of the
Pawhuska. It was namedl from its good exposures on and in the
neighborhood of the 0. K. ranch in sec. 31, T. 25 N., R. 9 E. It is
probably a rather small lentil of only local importance, cropping
out sporadically in different parts of T. 24 N., R. 8 E., and the
neighboring townships
1 Heald, K. C., report on T. 25 N., R. 9 E.: U. S. Geol. Survey
Bull. 686—E, 1918.
0
-
TM 24 AND 25 N., II,. 8 E. 151
toward the east and northeast. Where present it may be found
easily because of its stratigraphic position with respect to the
underlying massive Elgin sandstone.
The color of this limestone varies from gray to buff, with buff
predominating. In most places it is characterized by a flinty
hardness and an abundance of small Fusulina, but locally either or
both of these features may be absent. Typical exposures may be
observed in secs. 12 and 13, T. 24 N., R. 8 E.
Lecompton limestone.—The Lecompton limestone is a member of the
Pawhuska formation, lying 30 to 60 feet below the Deer Creek
limestone, which is the "Pawhuska lime" of commercial geologists.
This bed is one of the most persistent of the members of the
Pawhuska limestone and has been traced from the Kansas line through
the Pawhuska quadrangle, through the Hominy quadrangle, where it is
known to some as the "Hominy lime," and southward to the Cushing
field, where it is known as the "Pawhuska lime."
It is a hard bed, which ranges from 2 to 5 feet in thickness in
these townships but which is much thicker in the region to the
south. In many places it forms a conspicuous outcrop and large
slabs break from the ledge and litter the hill slopes. Its
resistance to disintegration may lead to errors, as some of these
slabs, which show little or no effect of weathering, occur on
slopes or in stream beds far below the actual outcrop of the
limestone.
The weathered color is commonly an orange or orange-brown,
though locally it is gray. The fresh surface is lighter in color.
The limestone is not markedly fossiliferous except in small areas,
but almost everywhere a search will reveal small cup corals
(Lophophyllum profundum).
The outcrops that may be seen near the east-west road in secs.
1, 2, and 3, T. 24 N., R. 8 E., are typical.
Deer Creek limestone.—The Deer Creek limestone is the most
conspicuous member of the Pawhuska formation. It is about 26 feet
thick in T. 25 N., R. 8 E., but becomes much thinner toward the
south, where its lower beds are replaced by sandstone. The general
color of the weathered surface is gray, but it shows some bands
which are cinnamon-brown and blackish blue and, fortunately, are so
persistent that they can be traced for considerable distances and
used in mapping to determine structure. Resistance to erosion
varies materially both horizontally and vertically within the
member, so that the " ledge maker " is a different bed at different
localities.
Throughout the greater part of T. 25 N., R. 8 E., a brown band,
3 or 4 feet thick, near the top of the Deer Creek limestone, proved
especially helpful in the detailed mapping. At many places also the
very top of the member, which is dark blackish blue and has a
peculiar velvety-smooth appearance, was used. Elsewhere a thin bed
of
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152 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
gray limestone about 7 feet above the massive ledge proved the
most reliable stratum.
As this limestone is traced southward into T. 24 N., R. 8 E.,
the brown band becomes extremely irregular, the black bed
disappears, the interval immediately below the thin upper bed
becomes more and more calcareous, and the lower beds change
somewhat abruptly into sandstone diagonally across the member from
the base upward. South of Little Hominy Creek, therefore, the
outcrop of the Deer Creek limestone indicated on the map (Pl. XXIV)
is that of a bed at a horizon 7 feet higher than that represented
farther north.
Little Hominy limestone.—The Little Hominy limestone is a bed 3
to 15 feet thick lying between 12 and 30 feet above the Deer Creek
member of the Pawhuska limestone. It is persistent and conspicuous
in T. 27 N., R. 8 E., where it maintains a constant position 30
feet above the Deer Creek limestone, but its outcrop is found to
become intermittent and variable when traced southward into T. 25
N., R. 8 E.; about midway of that township it begins to converge
toward the lower limestone, and in the southwest quarter of T. 24
N., R. 8 E., where its rare outcrops are last observed, the two
limestone beds are only 12 feet apart.
Typically the Little Hominy limestone is light gray on the
weathered surface, somewhat darker where freshly broken, and very
coarsely crystalline. In many places the uppermost 3 to 6 inches of
this member consists of very impure conglomeratic limestone
containing many shell fragments. At certain localities
well-preserved Fusulina, brachiopods, gastropods, and other
organisms are present, but at most places good fossils are
lacking.
In the southern half of T. 25 N., R. 8 E., and wherever observed
in T. 24 N., R. 8 E., this limestone is unusually sandy, containing
from 20 to 30 per cent of clear, glistening quartz grains. In
places this proportion is greatly exceeded, and it is impossible to
separate the limestone from the overlying massive sandstone, a bed
which, in the absence of the Little Hominy limestone, has proved
very serviceable in detailed mapping. It is probable that the
abrupt disappearance of this limestone at many localities is due to
its transition from a sandy lime into a calcareous sandstone that
is indistinguishable from the overlying sands.
Good exposures may be observed on the west slope of the
south-ward-trending valley in the SW. / sec. 30, T. 25 N., R. 8 E.,
and south of Hominy Creek in the SE. 4 sec. 30, T. 24 N., R. 8 E.
The bed is named from its outcrops on Little Hominy Creek in the
southwestern part of T. 25 N., R. 8 E. This member is probably the
equivalent of either the Howard or the Topeka limestone of
Kansas.
-
153 TPS. 24 AND 25 N., R. 8 E.
Turkey Run limestone.—From 40 to 90 feet above the Deer Creek
member of the Pawhuska limestone is a dark-gray limestone, 1 to 3
feet thick, to which the name Turkey Run limestone is here applied
because of its excellent exposures near the head of Turkey Run, in
secs. 9, 16, and 17, T. 24 N., R. 8 E. As in the case of the Little
Hominy limestone the interval between this bed and the underlying
limestone is greatest in the northern part of T. 25 N., R. 8 E.,
and least near the south margin of T. 24 N., R. 8 E.
This limestone is fine grained, thin bedded, hard, and brittle
and weathers into smoothly rounded slabs a few inches in length.
The weathered surface is generally light gray with many curving
traceries and irregular patterns of darker gray or yellowish brown,
due to the fragments of brachiopod and gastropod shells, the
margins of which are thus etched by weathering. On fresh fracture
the color is a much darker bluish gray, at some localities almost
black. Well-preserved fosils are extremely rare; in fact, it may
most readily be distinguished from the lithologically similar
limestone 60 feet higher in the section by the absence of the
brachiopod species commonly found in the higher bed.
Bird Creek limestone.—The next limestone above the Turkey Run
bed, just referred to, has been named the Bird Creek limestone, for
there are many good outcrops along the headwaters and main branches
of Bird Creek in the townships immediately north of those now under
consideration. The exposures along the south side of South Bird
Creek in secs. 28 and 29, T. 26 N., R. 8 E., are typical of its
development there. In the SE. 4 sec. 4, T. 25 N., R. 8 E., it is
crossed by the Fairfax road, and in T. 24 N., R. 8 E., it may be
seen to good advantage along the northwest-southeast road in sec.
8.
Near the north margin of T. 25 N., R. 8 E., the Bird Creek
limestone is 50 feet above the Turkey Run limestone; 6 miles
farther south the interval has increased to 72 feet. The two beds
are very similar in general appearance, but the upper one is
slightly darker than the lower and contains fewer fossil fragments.
On the other hand, the Bird Creek limestone carries many more
complete fossil shells and is indeed characterized by the presence
of the brachiopod Enteletes hemiplicata at nearly every outcrop.
Another method of distinguishing between the two beds depends upon
the presence of a thin soft limestone, crowded with Fusulina, about
18 or 20 feet above the Bird Creek limestone.
UNEXPOSED ROCKS.
The unexposed rocks of Pennsylvanian age are of the same general
type as those that appear at the surface. Sandstone and shale form
about 90 per cent of the total above what is known to the
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154 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
drillers as the Big lime (probably the Pawnee limestone of the
Kansas section). Below that horizon there is comparatively little
sandstone, but there are massive beds of limestone and thick series
of shale. (See Pl. XXVI.)
Many of the sandstones in the upper part of the section contain
water, even in areas of pronounced anticlinal structure, and in
some of the synclines they yield enormous quantities of either salt
or fresh water. Most of these water-bearing sands seem to be
lenticular, for not all the wells, even those that are closely
spaced, get the water at the same horizon. One of these sands,
which in most localities appears to be heavily charged with salt
water, is very persistent and will probably be encountered in many
of the wells drilled in these townships. Its top is between 480 and
560 feet below the horizon of the Lecompton limestone.
Either oil or gas has been found in more than a dozen distinct
beds in the different wells which have been drilled in these
townships. Most of these beds contained only " showings " which
were not large enough to be commercially important, although they
indicate the possibility of obtaining oil from the beds in which
they were found, but at least four zones have been proved to
contain sufficient oil or gas to justify the expense of drilling
and equipping wells. The uppermost of these zones is about 1,200
feet below the Lecompton limestone ; in the oil field in the
southeast corner of T. 24 N., R. 8 E., where it is known as the
Layton sand, it has thus far been reported to yield only small
volumes of gas and oil. The Big lime lies 500 or 600 feet lower,
and in two or three of the wells in the field mentioned above it
has contributed a little gas and oil to the total production. More
important is a sand about 25 feet thick known as the Peru sand
which lies immediately below the Big lime ; this is the " little
pay " in a few of the oil wells. The Fort Scott limestone (" Oswego
lime ") is about 2,000 feet below the Lecompton limestone and in
some places is immediately overlain by a thin oil-bearing bed known
as the Wheeler sand. This zone is penetrated at a depth of about
1,750 feet in the wells in the southeast corner of T. 24 N., R. 8
E., and from it the majority of the wells in that field get their
oil. About 300 feet below these beds is a sand about 15 feet thick
which lies immediately on or a very short distance above the "
Mississippi lime " and yields both oil and gas in favored
localities. This sand is known as the Bartlesville sand in the oil
field mentioned above and has yielded good returns in several of
the wells there.
Besides the oil and gas bearing formations mentioned above,
there are unquestionably deeper sands 200 feet or more below any
which have been reached by drilling operations in these two
townships.
-
155 TPS. 24 AND 25 N., R. 8 E.
The highest of these deep-lying sands has been proved to contain
both oil and gas in other parts of the Osage Reservation, and it
seems practically certain that future deep drilling in these
townships will result in obtaining a good yield from one or more of
these lower beds.
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE.
GENERAL STRUCTURE.
The structure in Tps. 24 and 25 N., R. 8 E. (see Pls. XXIV,
XXV), is complicated. In general there is a regional downward tilt
of the beds in a direction a little north of west, so that any
definite bed is about 200 feet higher at the east margin of the
area than it is at the west, but this regional tilt is so greatly
obscured by the manner in which the beds are folded and faulted
that it is not in the least prominent.
A very conspicuous structural feature is a shallow syncline
extending in a nearly straight line for 11 miles from sec. 31, T.
24 N., R. 8 E., in a direction 15° east of north to sec. 10, T. 25
N., R. 8 E. The floor and flanks of this syncline are crossed by no
less than 16 faults, all striking between N. 10° W. and N. 32° W.
and nearly all with the upthrow on the northeast side of the fault
plane. As a consequence of this fault-shattered trough at right
angles to the regional tilt of the beds, there is a series of minor
anticlines and domes on each side of the syncline and roughly
parallel to it. These folds will be described in detail, beginning
with the southernmost one of the western series, proceeding
northward and then southward along the east side of the syncline.
(See fig. 27.)
Equally as remarkable as the structural trough just described is
an anticlinal fold which covers a large part of T. 24 N., R. 8 E.,
and which extends into T. 23 N. on the south and into R. 9 E. on
the east. It is shaped like the letter V, with the point of the
letter near the north quarter corner of sec. 16, T. 24 N., R. 8 E.,
and with one limb trending southeastward to secs. 15, 14, and 13
and into T. 24 N., R. 9 E. Between the sides of the V there is a
broad and very pronounced syncline, a part of which is now occupied
by the valley of Little Hominy Creek and most of which was probably
at one time occupied by one of the major streams that drain the
region. This large syncline is particularly remarkable because it
opens toward the southeast, whereas most of the synclines in the
Osage Reservation have their heads to the east and open toward the
west. Along the axis of the large anticlinal fold there are four
minor anticlines separated by structural saddles. In the detailed
discussion which follows the major fold is considered as a unit and
is described separately.
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156 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
R. 8 E.
\ . 1
v) 5 /6 4 3 l` 2
,,,, e
,L ef, o e,-- cu
Cc e . i•C -82,\e• 7 8 6 i0 1 I 12
\A dbc"e --,.. / ,a)c,— _.0 0-
18 17 CL 1 16 IS 14 13
N Un
-,---
\--anti cl“ e'
c.,'C\ .1\ '''i s 24
1 ' ''N 20 e 21 22 23
7
. A.
,s,$)'''
,-,
o ,e, --3 . 28 - 27 26 25
' 0
() ,(.),'
V
(2,
3-, 1..,
31 2 •-. \ 33 -- 3 35 36
1 \ ,
5
6 kip° dot77e 3 2
03\
7 9 10 11 12
,gy0\\0w done Lee Clort,
,\.`R9 18 16 14 1315
cow
4,Cu O
19 20 21 0 22 23 24
yS. .3
(,)
3633 34 35
R. 8 E.
FIGURE 27.—Sketch showing approximate positions of the axes of
anticlinal folds in
Tps. 24 and 25 N., R. 8 E.
-
------ - - - - - - - - -
BULLETIN 686 PLATE XXIU. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
2 3 4 5 6 7 Log of Margaret Primeux Log of well 1 mile Log of
well about 2 miles Log of Monitor Oil Co. Log of Pawhuska Oil &
Gas Co. Skeleton section showing Skeleton section of
well No. 7 northwest ci Ralston northeast of Fairfax well No. I
well No. 26 oitand gas sands at Ponca City exposed rocks Sec. 4, T.
25 N., R. 2 E. NE. -i- SE. i sec. 34. T. 24 N., R. 5 E. SW.* sec.
5, T. 24 N., R.6 E. Sec. 25, T. 22 N., R. 7 E. SE.* sec. 6, T. 24
N., R. 8 E. from Bulletin 16,
Oklahoma Geological Survey
Base. of Wreford limestone Wreford limestone
'First gas SarTd---
Second gas sand Crouse limestone
13,000,000 co.figas
Cottonwood limestone
500-foot sand Principal gas sand
Neva limestone
Red Eagle limestone
}Fora ker limestone Approximate base of Foraker' I i meston e
(eroded)
Mouth of well
Grayhorse limestone
•:. Fourth gas sand
Stonebreaker limestone
Crypt Aoog. i t t-t:,earing
li e o,,e
Mouth of well Soil Bird Creek limestoneMouth of well
Fifth sand Oil and gas
1Water
Approximate ho Elgin Elgin sandstone
Oil -----"c3fand --- • — Principal oil sandShow of oil
• Water
Show of oil
Water
�-am
Wa
3,000,000 cu.ft.gas I I I EXPLANATION
Gas
Sandstone
Shale
Show of oil
Sandy shaleHole full of water
— — _ Lay-ton sand
Slate
Limestone
.Cleveland sand
Big lime
e Show of oil -- Oswego lime" Show of gas
`' Gas y, r'0§0iGas
Small show Peru sand of oil
650 feet to bottom of hole No record
Pink lime
"Mississippi lime" 390 490 590 Feet9 50 ,(10 2°,°
SECTIONS SHOWING DRILLER S' INTERPRETATIONS OF UNEXPOSED ROCKS
IN OR ADJACENT TO WESTERN OSAGE COUNTY, THEIR RELATIONS TO THE
IMPOSED ROCKS, AND THE PROBABLE CORR,ELAT IONS OF THE SANDS
-
• • • • •
••
tr. B. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 096 PLATE XXVI
T. H.Bushnell Pawhuska Oil & Gas Co. Composite record of
welleNo.1 No.26 r irrse.r.s. 25,364iffif 36
Sec.6,T.25 N.,R.9 E. sec.6,T. 24 N.,R.8 E. P4,,R.8 t.
0 — Sand ftetfre
Sand and slate LimestoneSlate Shale
mestone (Oread) LimestoneRed rock r
Shale' Limestone(Deer Creiik): --••Sand LimestoneShale and sand
Slate Sand and shale.
200 — J Red mud Shale Red shaleLimestone Sand Red rock Red
shale
•• • L.= = 2 Red mud Limestone (Lecomp Shale and sand• 7 7Shale
and sand = 1 Red rock 77; 77:a7. .7.. •̀ Sand
•••••:. • Shale
. r Limestone 400 —
Shale •\ • Shale and sand Shale••
Lirngstone ••• SandSan Redmud •• ..-.--•••—" Slates• •• •\
Limestone
• • "':•:::•5 Red rock •
}Sand and shale 600 —
I I I LimestoneSlate and sand\ \ .......... Shale and sand•••
Sand and shale
S.
• 'Limestone Shale
• .Limestone Rd r,sch
800 — Slate
rrkestone
•
.• •.
Slate and/sand Shale
Limestone\ /
Slate •••
1,000 —
T;1 I rill fi 1 1
Limestone S.
••• ••
SI.dte / Sand with slate
or lime break (Layton sand)
__•L • - ,Limestone Shale a Sand //‘
Sand 1111 1 I I Limestone and slate Shale
Limestone Sand Shale
1,200 — Slate /
/ Sand
Sard — Shale/
SandSlate Shale /Slate
•
anct 1,400 — ••• Sand
Limestone ShaleS.
' Slate I , 1 Limestone 1 I Shale
Sand *•:•:•:•••••••••••.•:•:-:,
; 1,600 — . • \
--\Limestone Limestone (Big lime)
i . • i\lLmestone and slate ' 1 \ Sand I ' I Sand
Slate \••• Shale1 \
1 I 1 Limestone and\ \slate Sand (Wheeler)'S' I -1--1- (Big
lime) '.I I •• Limestone
'Slate `, • 11 I ' ("Oswego lime")1,800 — ... - --...... Sand
(Peru) •• •
S. •• Shale and sand Slate Lime shell
• ).Sand /and slate /I I 1 \ ...........
Li rpestone1.)tRestone("05weio lime") Shale and sand • • Slate •
,/ //
Slate \\. 'LimestoneN
2,000 — -- ShaleLimestone \
, ,Limes-tOne and s Lime shelI - L_Slate and sand\ r (Big lime)
Shale
Limestone and slate\• - I 1 'Slate Sand (Bartlesville.
\\ Sand / , Limestone' S
( Mississippi lime"i Slate I Limestone("0 •me")L.2.00 —
r •i.imestone
Slate •
•S. • Limestone /2,400
Slate //
S. Limestone
Sand• Slate• I 1LimestonerMissi .Tp; lima)
2,600 — Roc1.S uNDERLYING T. 23 N., B. 8 F.. AS SHOWN BY 1,
LOGS.
http:Sec.6,T.25
-
TPS. 24 AND 25 N., It. 8 E. 157
ANTICLINES AND DOMES.
RAINBOW ANTICLINE.1•
The axis of the Rainbow anticline trends northwest across the
center of sec. 31, T. 24 N., R. 8 E., athwart the syncline referred
to above, which divides the anticline into two distinct parts. The
southeastern part continues to rise toward the southeast as the
anticlinal axis passes out of the area under discussion into sec.
5, T. 23 N., R. 8 E.
The northwestern portion of the Rainbow anticline is a broad,
low dome covering parts of secs. 25 and 36, T. 24 N., R. 7 E., and
of secs. 30 and 31, T. 24 N., R. 8 E. The summit of the dome is in
sec. 25, and only the eastern and northeastern flanks lie within
the townships which are the subject of this report. The closure is
less than 20 feet. No tests have been drilled on this fold, but
from the presence of the rich oil field 32 miles southeast of it
the inference is justifiable that oil and gas bearing sands are
present at this locality. To judge from the general shape and size
of the dome, however, it does not appear probable that wells
drilled in it will yield nearly so much oil as has been produced
from the wells in the more pronounced dome of this neighboring
field.
The best location for a test well on the northwestern portion of
the Rainbow anticline is a little west of the center of the SE. 1
sec. 25, T. 24 N., R. 7 E. A well drilled there should strike the "
Oswego lime " between 2,100 and 2,200 feet below the surface, and
the " Mississippi lime " about 375 feet deeper. It should be
drilled to a depth of at least 3,000 feet to be an adequate test.
Within R. 8 E. the best location for testing this structure would
be at the middle of the west side of sec. 30, T. 24 N. Conditions
favoring the accumulation of oil and gas are present throughout the
greater part of the W. 2 NW. 1 and the SW.1 sec. 30 and the NW. 1
sec. 31, T. 24 N., R. 8 E.
TURKEY ANTICLINE.
The axis of the Turkey anticline is sigmoidal and extends from a
point near the center of sec. 19 across the NW. / sec. 20 and
through the W. sec. 17 and dies out against the southern flank of
the Dalton dome, near the center of sec. 8, T. 24 N., R. 8 E. The
crest of the anticline is modified by two domelike bulges, each
with a closure of little more than 10 feet and each pierced by a
fault extended from the axis of the syncline toward the east.
Neither has been tested.
1 In the preceding chapter of this volume (Bull. 686—L) the
Rainbow anticline is described in the text (p. 145) as the South
Hominy Creek anticline. In the same chapter the name of the North
Hominy Creek anticline was, through an oversight, omitted from the
map (Pl. XXIII).
-
158 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
The south dome is broad and flat, embracing less than half a
square mile, although the accumulation of oil and gas may be
influenced by it over a much larger area. The broad, flat terrace
underlying all of sec. 18 may be of considerable economic
importance, though wells with only a moderate yield are all that
can be expected even in its most favorable part. Good places for
test wells may be found near the center of the NW. 1 sec. 20, a
little south of the center of the NE. sec. 19, or in the extreme
southwest corner of sec. 17. If the first of these localities is
chosen and the well is drilled in the creek bottom it should
encounter the Big lime at a depth between 1,800 and 1,850 feet, the
Oswego lime somewhere near 2,000 feet, and the Mississippi lime
between 2,300 and 2,400 feet.
The north dome on the Turkey anticline covers a much smaller
area, centering about a point 1,700 feet east of the northwest
corner of sec. 17. This feature might better be described as a
warped terrace on the south flank of the Dalton dome. Its
importance as a reservoir of hydrocarbons is probably very slight
in comparison with that of the larger and higher dome to the north.
No prospecting for oil or gas should be attempted there unless the
Dalton dome should prove to inclose a productive pool.
DALTON DOME.
The Dalton dome is a much more pronounced uplift than any of
those described above, both as regards area and closure. The lowest
closed contour embraces an area of nearly a square mile in the
southern and western parts of sec. 5, the SE. 1 sec. 6, the NE. I
sec. 7, and along the north side of sec. 8, T. 24 N., R. 8 E. The
closure is about 30 feet. The crown of the dome is centered near
the middle of the east line of the SW. 1 sec. 5 ; there is a
secondary bulge in the SE. 1 SE. 1 sec. 6.
The size and shape of this dome and the area of gathering ground
from which oil may have migrated to form a pool beneath it appear
favorable for the development of wells with at least moderate
yield. The presence of a dry hole squarely on top of the smaller
bulge near the southeast corner of sec. 6 is therefore very much of
a disppointment. This well, which was drilled in the spring of
1918,
reached a depth of 2,529 feet without encoulitering more than
small " showings " of oil and gas. At the horizon of the Layton
sand, as that name is applied in the oil field in the southeast
corner of the township, only large volumes of water were
encountered. A light show of oil is reported from a sand 250 feet
lower; and a limestone penetrated at 1,985 feet, reported as the "
Oswego lime," but in reality the Big lime, yielded a " small show "
of gas. A short distance below this limestone is a sand—the
equivalent of the Wheeler sand of the oil field 6 miles to the
southeast—from which a " small show " of oil
-
159 TPB. 24 AND 25 N., R. 8 E.
was obtained. The Fort Scott (" Oswego ") limestone carried no
oil. At the horizon of the Bartlesville sand 15 feet of " broken
sand " which did not show any sign of oil or gas was encountered.
The " Mississippi lime," which gave a " very small show " of gas,
was penetrated for only 10 feet. The rocks reported by the driller
as having been penetrated are shown graphically in Plate XXVI.
Before condemning the Dalton dome, or even before
concluding.that the sands above the " Mississippi lime " will not
yield oil or gas in commercial quantities within its area, at least
one other test hole should be drilled. It should be located on the
higher and larger bulge in the SW. I sec. 5. The Big lime should be
reached here at a depth of about 1,950 feet, the " Oswego lime " at
about 2,120 to 2,150 feet, and the " Mississippi lime " at nearly
2,500 feet. The hole should be continued to about 3,100 feet in
order to give an adequate test. It is greatly to be regretted that
the hole in sec. 6 was not drilled deep enough into the "
Mississippi lime " to reach the beds 130 feet and more below its
top, which have been proved to yield commercial quantities of oil
and gas elsewhere in the Osage Reservation.
COLD SPRING ANTICLINE.
The sinuous crest of the Cold Spring anticline stretches from
the NE. 1 sec. 6, T. 24 N., R. 8 E., northward across secs. 31 and
30, T. 25 N., R. 8 E., bends eastward along the north side of sec.
29 and reaches its highest altitude in the SW. 1 sec. 21. There it
is sheared downward by a crooked fault that extends across it and
the adjacent syncline in secs. 28 and 21, but the anticlinal fold
continues north-eastward nearly to the north line of sec. 21, where
it terminates against another but much *smaller fault. (See fig.
27.) A branch from this main crest extends southward from the
center of sec. 29 to the center of sec. 32 ; another trends
westward from the southern part of sec. 20 to the center of sec.
19; and a third minor flexure crosses the NE. 1 sec. 20 to the SW.
1 sec. 17. About 21 square miles is included within the lowest
closed contour on this anticline, but nearly one-fifth of the
township is underlain by beds having the favorable structure
pertaining to it. The closure is about' 90 feet, but the area from
which oil and gas may be drawn probably extends west of the lowest
closed contour. The size, shape, and relation to drainage area of
the Cold Spring anticline indicate that it is one of the most
favorable uplifts for the localization of an oil and gas pool in
the region under discussion, and it is difficult to see how the
fault which crosses it can materially improve or impair its
capacity as a reservoir of hydrocarbons. Unless there is an utter
absence of suitably porous strata, or of a source for oil and gas,
beneath this anticline, it should yield many wells of moderate
production and a few of large flow. Structure favorable for oil
accumulation is found in all
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160 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
of sec. 21 except the SE. 1 and the far northwest corner, all of
sec. 20 except the NE. /, the SW. 1 sec. 17, nearly all of secs.
19, 30, and 31, all but the southeast corner of sec. 29, and the
northwest corner of sec. 28.
This anticline has not been drilled, although three holes have
been sunk in its immediate vicinity. The dry hole in the southeast
corner of sec. 16 is exactly in the bottom of the synclinal saddle
between the Cold Spring anticline and the Polledoak dome. Its
record, as preserved in the archives of the Osage Indian Agency,
shows 200 feet.of " sand and water " at a depth of 950 feet,
immediately below a limestone which was incorrectly identified as
the Big lime. This sand probably represents the Layton sand of the
oil field in the southeast corner of T. 24 N., R. 8 E. A 55-foot
sand was penetrated at a depth of 1,405 feet. Between a limestone
series at 1,670 to 1,680 feet, which doubtless represents the Big
lime, and the Fort Scott (" Oswego ") limestone there is reported
to be 65 feet of " slate." Below the Fort Scott limestone only "
slate and shells " are recorded until the " Mississippi lime " is
reached at 2,284 feet. It was penetrated for only 7 feet. This
record is a very poor one, and the information it gives can not be
accepted without question. There must be some doubt about the
absence of sands between the Fort Scott and the " Mississippi
lime." Another well drilled since the completion of the field work
on which this report is based is situated on the southwest flank of
the White-cliff dome, in the southeast corner of sec. 33. Gas was
encountered in this well at a little more than 1,000 feet below the
surface, and oil in commercial quantities was obtained from a
21-foot sand at 1,890 feet. This sand would correspond to either
the Peru or Wheeler sand of the drillers, and its presence here
lends support to the hope that it is also present beneath the Cold
Spring anticline. The third well near this anticline is that,
already referred to, which punctures the secondary bulge on the
crest of the Dalton dome in sec. 6, T. 24 N., R. 8 E.
Test wells should be sunk at a number of points on the Cold
Spring anticline. One should be drilled about 500 feet east and 200
feet north from the southwest corner of sec. 21, squarely on top of
the highest point of the fold, where the Big lime may be expected
at a depth of about 1,800 feet, the " Oswego lime" at approximately
2,050 feet, and the " Mississippi lime " between 2,400 and 2,500
feet. A good place for a second test is in the SE. / NW. 1 sec. 21,
where the limestones just named should be encountered at depths 75
to 100 feet less than in the first test suggested. A third
suggested location is in the SW. 4 NE. I sec. 19, where depths to
the limestones should be about 50 feet greater than in the first
test suggested. Still another hole, to complete the thorough
testing of this anticline, might be sunk near the center of sec.
29.
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161 TPS. 24 AND 25 N., R. 8 E.
POLLEDOAK DOME.
The apex of the Polledoak dome is near the southeast corner of
sec. 9, T. 25 N., R. 8 E., and the area embraced within the fold
covers approximately 1 square mile, including the N. z sec. 16, the
SE. / sec. 9, and parts of the SW. / sec. 10 and the NW. 4 sec. 15.
It is difficult to estimate the amount of closure with accuracy. If
the long fault that traverses the whole of sec. 15 effectually
seals the northeast side of the fold, the closure is about 40 feet,
and nearly a half section is included within the lowest closed
contour. If this fault does not continue to the oil or gas bearing
strata which may be below the surface here, the closure is less
than 20 feet and less than a quarter section is included within the
lowest closed contour. In either event, the dome is well worth a
test, for the dry hole in the syncline to the south, referred to in
a preceding paragraph, is no criterion of conditions within the
area of this dome.
It is quite likely that at least a moderate yield will be
obtained within the area covered by the Polledoak dome. The
structure is well defined, the closure is fair in amount, and the
area available for drainage into the dome is extensive. The best
place for a test well is on the crown of the dome in the SE. / SE.
/ sec. 9. A well on the table-land there should strike the Big lime
at a depth between 1,750 and 1,800 feet, the "Oswego lime" about
250 feet lower, and the " Mississippi lime " between 2,350 and
2,400 feet.
CLEAR CREEK DOMES.
The Clear Creek domes are three small bulges on the surface of a
broad terrace which extends from the NE. / sec. 13, T. 25 N., R. 7
E., to the NE. 1 sec. 5, T. 25 N., R. 8 E. It is possible that the
entire area between the 540 and 580 foot contours in this corner of
T. 25 N., R. 8 E., may prove to be underlain by gas or oil in
commercial quantities, although no wells of more than moderate
yield should be expected. The three small domes, however, extend
much greater promise than the portions of the terrace beyond their
limits. Each has a closure of 10 to 20 feet, and the middle one of
the three covers an area of about half a square mile. In view of
the magnitude of its drainage area to the west, this largest one of
the Clear Creek domes is well worthy of a test, although the
results of the test can not be forecast until the Coldspring
anticline and the Polledoak dome have been drilled. The test well
might be located in the Clear Creek bottoms about 1,700 feet east
of the west line and 1,500 feet south of the north line of sec. 8.
The Big lime probably lies about 1,800 feet below the surface at
that point.
80703'-22 -12
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162 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
RODEO ANTICLINE.
Stretching northeastward from the NE. / sec. 15, T. 25 N., R. 8
E., is a broad, low fold—the Rodeo anticline. Nearly 2 square miles
in secs. 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 14, and 15, T. 25 N., R. 8 E., fall
within the lowest closed contour on this fold, although the closure
is only 30 feet. Two small bulges centering in the NE. / and the
SE. 1 sec. 10 rise above the generally flat summit of this
anticline. Structurally it is well adapted for the localization of
an oil or gas pool, although its gentle slopes may mean that only
moderate yield would be obtained from its wells. The drainage area
is less than might be desired. Even though the faults which graze
the anticline on the southwest should prove ineffectual as a
barrier to the migration of oil and gas, the source of supply from
that direction is to some extent cut off by the domes and
anticlines just beyond, so that the Rodeo anticline could receive
the drainage up the general western dip of the region only through
a narrow belt in the N. 2 sec. 10 and the S. sec. 3.
Little light can at present be shed upon the question of the
presence or absence of suitable strata which might serve as
reservoirs of oil and gas below this anticline and without whicl
the favorable structure will be of no avail. The anticline has not
been drilled and none of the closely adjacent folds have been
tested. A good place for a test well is probably in the NE. / NE. /
sec. 10 about 1,000 feet west of the east line of the section ; a
second location is near the center of the NW. / NE. 1 sec. 15. At
the location in sec. 10 the Big lime should be struck at a depth of
1,725 feet, the Fort Scott limestone between 1,950 and 2,000 feet,
and the " Mississippi lime " between 2,300 and 2,350 feet. The well
in sec. 15 would reach the same horizons at depths only slightly
less.
MAYER ANTICLINE.
The Mayer anticline is a short fold extending westward across
the S. sec. 24, T. 25 N., R. 8 E., into the SE. 1 sec. 23. There is
no closure; the fold is outlined by strong north, west, and south
dips, but no east dip occurs. This anticline is therefore of
trivial importance in comparison with the other favorable folds
here described. Moreover, it is so hedged in by synclinal troughs
that the gathering ground from which oil or gas might migrate into
it is very small.
Two holes, both dry, are reported to have been drilled on the
flanks of this fold. The locations of these wells as shown on the
map are only approximate, for neither was found in the course of
the field work on which this map is based. No log of the northern
well is available, and that of the southern one merely records the
presence
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163 TPS. 24 AND 25 N., R. 8 E.
of sand at 1,656 feet and the total depth of the hole as 1,956
feet. This depth would probably carry the hole only a short
distance below the Fort Scott (" Oswego ") limestone.
Unless good yields should be obtained on the neighboring
anticlinal folds, it would not seem advisable to make further tests
on the Mayer anticline. Should such a test prove advisable a good
location for it is 1,000 feet north of the south line and 1,000'
feet west of the east line of sec. 23, on the plunging tip of the
anticline. The well here should reach the Big lime at a depth
between 1,600 and 1,700 feet, the Fort Scott (" Oswego ") limestone
250 to 300 feet deeper, and the " Mississippi lime " between 2,200
and 2,300 feet.
WHITECLIFF DOME.
The prominent, well-defined dome in the middle of the southern
part of T. 25 N., R. 8 E., may be referred to as the Whitecliff
dome because of the conspicuous cliffs of light-gray Little Hominy
and Deer. Creek limestone which nearly surround it. The apex of the
dome is in the NW. 4 sec. 34, and large parts of secs. 33, 28, and
27 lie on its flanks or summit. The closure is about 40 feet, and
approximately three-fourths of a square mile lies within the lowest
closed contour. Should it prove that the structure of this dome has
served to localize an oil or gas pool, it may be expected that the
productive area will cover the W. sec. 34, much of sec. 27, the
southeast corner of sec. 28, and the eastern part of sec. 33. It
may also extend into the NE. sec. 3, T. 24 N., R. 8 E.
Although the Whitecliff dome leaves little to be desired so far
as size and shape are concerned, its relations to the general
structure of the whole region are not so favorable for the
accumulation of a large pool of oil or gas as might be wished. As
it stands on the east side of the long, shallow, fault-shattered
syncline which traverses the west side of the township, it may, to
a large extent, be cut off from any supply of hydrocarbons that may
have moved up the regional dip from the west. This condition will
probably result in wells of moderate production, with the possible
exception of such as are drilled close to the crown of the
dome.
Since the completion of the field work on which this report is
based a well has been drilled in the southeast corner of sec. 33,
on the southwestern flank of this dome. The well log is not now
available, but it is known that oil in commercial quantities was
struck in a 21-foot sand at a depth of 1,890 feet. This sand is
presumably either the Peru or the Wheeler sand of the oil fields to
the east and south. The inference is that wells with greater yield
may be obtained in the higher parts of the dome and that either gas
wells or fairly large oil wells may be expected in the northwest
corner of sec. 34
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164 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
and the immediately adjacent territory. In estimating the value
of the output which may be expected from this dome, the possible
presence of the Bartlesville sand and of oil-bearing beds in the "
Mississippi lime " below the sand whose presence has been
demonstrated by the well just mentioned should be taken into
consideration.
The very apex of the Whitecliff dome should be penetrated by a
well sunk at a point 1,000 feet east of the west line and an equal
distance south of the north line of sec. 34. This well would
probably reach the Big lime at a depth of about 1,750 feet, the
Fort Scott (" Oswego " limestone 250 or 275 feet deeper, and the "
Mississippi lime " at about 2,400 feet.
LEE DOME.
The Lee dome is the easternmost of the separate domes on the
axis of a large anticlinal fold which occupies most of the eastern
part of T. 24 N., R. 8 E. It is a small rounded swelling, in which
the rocks bow upward very gently, and stands on the line between
secs. 12 and 13. The closure is but 10 feet, and the area included
within the lowest closed contour is only about 80 acres. On the
north and south sides of the dome the rocks dip steeply for a long
distance into the synclines which border the big anticlinal fold,
but on the east and west flanks of the dome the beds lie almost
flat.
No drilling has been done on or near the Lee dome, so any guess
as to the conditions which underlie it must be based on evidence
offered by wells at some distance and is accordingly liable to
considerable inaccuracy. To judge from the conditions of the oil
field in T. 24 N., R. 8 E., which is about 3 miles south of the Lee
dome, the beds most likely to contain oil are moderately shallow
sands associated with the Big lime and the Fort Scott (" Oswego ")
limestone, which are known as the Peru sand and the Wheeler sand in
the oil field referred to above. Although the Bartlesville sand may
possibly be present in the Lee dome, it is probably either entirely
absent or is very thin and can not be expected to be very
productive. There is also a possibility that beds in the "
Mississippi lime " carry oil and gas at this locality, and any
development work that is done on the Lee dome should be thorough
enough to determine the nature and oil content of the beds which
lie for about 300 feet below the top of the "Mississippi lime."
The structural conditions at the Lee dome would not be
considered exceptionally good were it not that this dome is only a
part of a very strongly developed anticline which has probably
induced the formation of oil pools at any point under its axis
where there is appreciable secondary doming.
A good location for a test well is believed to be just east of
the quarter corner between secs. 12 and 13. A well located here
should
-
165 TPS. 24 AND 25 N., R. 8 E.
strike the Big lime at a depth of about 1,700 feet, the Fort
Scott limestone at about 1,900 feet, and the " Mississippi lime "
at about 2,300 feet.
HAPPY HOLLOW DOME.
The Happy Hollow dome is a low fold whose crown lies between
Happy Hollow and Little Hominy Creek. The highest point on the fold
is a little south of the quarter corner between sees. 11 and 14,
and from this point the rocks slope gently to the east and to the
west until the dip is reversed on the structural saddles that
separate the Happy Hollow dome from the Lee dome on the east and
from the Wheeler dome on the west. To the north and the south the
dip steepens a short distance from the crown of the dome and the
beds descend steeply into the large synclines which limit the fold
in these directions.
No drilling has been done on the Happy Hollow dome; and as it is
3 miles from any extensive developments, it is not possible to say
definitely what oil-bearing beds may underlie its surface. The
Dearest producting well is on the Wheeler dome, almost 2 miles west
of the center of the crown of the Happy Hollow dome, where a single
well has been drilled to the horizon of the "Oswego" lime. Several
gas sands and at least one oil sand were struck above the Big lime,
from which the principal yield comes. On the Whitecliff anticline,
about 3 miles north of the Happy Hollow dome, a single well has
been drilled ; this well found enough oil at the general horizon of
the Fort Scott (" Oswego ") limestone to make about a 5-barrel
well.
The data given above and the conditions in the oil fields in the
southeastern part of T. 24 N., R. 8 E. (see p. 167 and. Pl. XXIV),
indicate that the beds which are most likely to contain gas and oil
below the Happy Hollow dome are those which are closely associated
with the Big lime and with the Fort Scott (" Oswego ") limestone.
There is a chance of obtaining some oil from the Bartlesville sand,
but the prospects of any great yield from this sand do not look
particularly good. There is a very fair possibility that the "
Mississippi lime" will prove to contain both oil and gas, and it
should be tested thoroughly beneath this dome.
Good locations for testing the Happy Hollow dome are in the
bottom of the valley of Little Hominy Creek near the center of the
NW. 4 NW. 1 sec. 14 and near the center of the NE. / NE. 1 sec. 14.
A well at the first location should encounter the oil and .gas
bearing beds of the field in sec. 36 at a depth not more than 100
feet greater than in that field. (See Pl. XXIV.) A well at the
second location will find these same beds at slightly greater
depth.
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166 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
WHEELER DOME.
The Wheeler dome lies at the tip or point of the V formed by the
large anticline in the eastern part of T. 24 N., R. 8 E. The crown
of the dome is just west of the quarter corner between secs. 15 and
16, and the lowest closed contour incloses much of the W. 2 sec. 15
and the E. I sec. 16. From the crown of the fold the beds dip
gently to the east and the south until they reach the axes of the
structural saddles in secs. 15 and 22, which separate the Wheeler
dome from the Happy Hollow dome on the east and from the Thirty-six
anticline on the south. To the north and west the beds plunge
toward the bottoms of the major synclines that limit the large
anticlinal fold of which the Wheeler dome is but a part. The
closure on the Wheeler dome is only about 20 feet, but it seems
improbable that the importance of the dome as a source of oil and
gas can be judged by this small measurement. When the field work in
T. 24 N., R. 8 E., was completed no drilling had been done on the
Wheeler dome, but since that time a well in the SW. 4 sec. 15, a
short distance from the crown of the fold, has been drilled to a
depth of 1,933 feet, where it was stopped in the Fort Scott ("
Oswego ") limestone. This well passed through several gas-bearing
sands and one oil-bearing sand in the upper 1,000 feet and obtained
a heavy flow of gas from the upper part of the Big lime. The total
flow is reported to be 12,000,000 cubic feet a day. The well passed
through 12 feet of sand just below the Big lime, but no yield is
reported from it. The " Oswego " lime was penetrated 12 feet and is
gas bearing.
It has been demonstrated that gas-bearing sands underlie the
Wheeler dome, and it is very probable that wells bored farther down
from the crown of the dome than the well which is giving the
present gas yield will find oil as well as gas in some of these
sands. This belief is encouraged by conditions in the field about 3
miles southeast of the Wheeler dome, where the shallow sands in
some of the wells carry little but gas, whereas in others only a
short distance away they yield large volumes of oil.
Besides the prospects of obtaining oil and gas from the shallow
sands there is a possibility that the Bartlesville sand underlies
this dome and carries oil. In the field just mentioned the
Bartlesville sand has been a disappointment, for it is much thinner
than it is in the more productive portions of the Osage Reservation
and has contributed a comparatively small amount of oil to the
total output of the field. On the other hand, a " pay " sand which
is either at the horizon of the Bartlesville or only a little lower
has yielded tremendous volumes of oil in secs. 8 and 9, T. 23 N.,
R. 8 E., only about 5 miles south of the Wheeler dome. Accordingly
it must be recognized that there is a strong possibility that some
beds at the general horizon
-
167 TPS. 24 AND 25 N., R. 8 E.
of the Bartlesville will be found extremely productive under
this entire area.
Below the Bartlesville sand is the " Mississippi lime," which
has not been really tested by any wells in this general region.
However, it is known to carry both oil and gas under favorable
anticlinal folds in other parts of the Osage Reservation, and there
is good reason to hope that it will prove to be similarly
productive below the Wheeler dome.
Good locations for further testing of the Wheeler dome are the
center of the SE. I SE. I sec. 16, the center of sec. 16, and the
extreme southeast corner of sec. 9. It will also probably be well
to test the lower part of the dome by drilling near the center of
sec. 22. At these locations the oil and gas bearing beds should lie
about 200 feet farther below the surface than they do in sec. 36.
(See Pl. XXIV.) Drilling should be continued in these wells until
they have penetrated the "Mississippi lime" about 300 feet, unless
they find " pay " at less depth. This will call for a total depth
of not less than 2,700 feet. There is every reason to believe that
the anticlinal structure is more pronounced in the " Mississippi
lime " than it is on the surface, and the oil-bearing possibilities
of this deep lime should be thoroughly demonstrated.
THIRTY-SIX ANTICLINE.
The Thirty-six anticline is the largest of the separate folds
that lie along the axis of the big V-shaped anticline in the
eastern part of T. 24 N., R. 8 E. The axis of the Thirty-six
anticline runs from a point about 1,000 feet west of the quarter
corner between secs. 22 and 23 southeastward through the southwest
corner of sec. 23 and the center of sec. 26 and along the west side
of sec. 36, where it terminates abruptly against a fault with a
throw of about 50 feet which cuts squarely across the anticline. On
the south end of this anticline an extensive oil and gas field has
been developed ; wells with an initial daily production as great as
4,000,000 cubic feet of gas and 400 barrels of oil have been
reported, although the. average is much less. The fields extend far
down the east flank of the anticline toward the syncline that
borders the fold on the east. As noted in a preceding paragraph of
this report (p. 154), the oil and gas are obtained largely from the
Wheeler sand and the " Oswego " lime, reached at a depth between
1,700 and 1,800 feet, but the Peru sand, a little higher in the
section, and the Bartlesville sand, reached at a depth of about
2,050 feet, also give fair yields. It is reported that wells
drilled since the completion of the field work for this report have
obtained very good yields from sands that lie above the Peru sand,
but no information concerning the exact position of these sands
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168 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
in the stratigraphic section or the initial production of the
wells is available. So far as can be learned no wells have been
drilled deeper than 50 feet into the " Mississippi lime," which is
not a sufficient depth to test this formation adequately. It is
very important that wells be drilled at least 300 feet into the
lime below the Thirty-six anticline, as this formation has yielded
large volumes of both oil and gas elsewhere in the Osage
Reservation, and there are few localities where the geologic
structure appears better suited to have brought about an
accumulation of oil and gas than under the Thirty-six anticline.
The exact effect which the large fault that cuts the beds on the
Thirty-six anticline has had upon the oil and gas-bearing strata
has not been determined. Thus far no wells with large production
have been completed west of the fault, but it can not be said
definitely that the fault is the cause of the small yield.
The Thirty-six anticline should be developed by extending the
present field to the north and west; it is probably also
justifiable to drill a few test wells beyond the productive area.
Good locations for these wells are the center of sec. 26, the
extreme northwest corner of sec. 26, and the center of the SW. /
SE. 4 sec. 35. At all these locations the beds which are productive
in the developed field lie at slightly greater depths below the
surface than in the wells that have already been drilled.
FALLS ANTICLINE.
The Falls anticline is a small fold extending from the SE. 1
sec. 32, T. 24 N., R. 8 E., in a direction a little east of north
to the SE. sec. 21, where it merges with the Little Hominy
anticline. Beneath the bed of Hominy Creek the anticlinal fold is
crossed by a synclinal saddle which divides it into two parts, each
of which is in reality a long, narrow terrace or " nose " extending
outward from the lower flanks of a large anticlinal uplift. The
northern part of the Falls anticline is a low terrace projected far
southward from the side of the Little Hominy anticline and bears a
small bulge with a closure of about 10 feet on the outer end of the
" step." The southern part of the Falls anticline bears a similar
though somewhat more remote relation to the anticlinal fold on
which lies the " Osage-Hominy oil field," in and near sec. 9, T. 23
N., R. 8 E.
Neither portion of this fold has been drilled, and no tests
should be made here until the location of the oil pools in the
adjacent, more pronounced uplifts have been fairly well outlined.
Structural conditions beneath the areas included within the
740-foot contour (Pl. XXIV), in secs. 28, 32, and 33, are
unquestionably favorable for the accumulation of oil and gas, but
only wells of small yield should be expected there. The available
gathering ground is small,
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169 TPS. 24 AND 25 N., R. 8 E.
and the capacity of the fold at best is slight. Good localities
for testing its possibilities will be found in the SW. 4 NE. 4 sec.
32 and about 300 feet east of the west quarter corner of sec.
28.
Attention may be directed in this connection to the similar
warped terrace underlying the SE. 4 sec. 34. In spite of its
unfavorable situation with respect to the probable directions of
underground migration of oil and gas, it may possibly have
determined the location of a small pool.
UNFAVORABLE AREAS.
It is evident from the foregoing descriptions of anticlinal
folds in Tps. 24 and 25 N., R. 8 E., that the greater part of this
area lies in a zone of marked deformation. Either the rocks have
been subjected to unusual deformational stresses or they have been
of less than average competence to resist stresses. In either event
it can scarcely be doubted that crustal movements have been
localized here for a long time, probably dating from a period
preceding that during which the rocks now exposed at the surface
were laid down. It should not be forgotten that deposition has been
far from continuous in this region ; that a break in sedimentation
of continent-wide extent occurred after the deposition of the "
Mississippi lime " and before that of the " Oswego lime." This
break was occasioned or accompanied by notable crustal movements.
Accordingly there may well be in the lower strata beneath these
townships many wrinkles which do not appear in the exposed
formations. General experience in the Osage Reservation in
particular seems to indicate that zones of marked deformation are
very likely to contain pools of oil and gas, which disregard to
some extent the minor structural features apparent in the surface
rocks. Accordingly there are few localities in such a zone which
are unworthy of a test by drilling.
Certain districts in these two townships, however, appear so
unfavorable to oil or gas accumulation that it seems wise to avoid
them. Although it is possible that oil and gas may be present
beneath these areas, it is most unlikely that commercial production
will ever be attained in them. They should be left undrilled until
the remainder of the townships has been explored, and even then
they should be tested only if the conditions in some adjoining area
indicate that they contain the extension of a previously discovered
pool.
Among these unfavorable districts is the syncline embraced
between the arms of the Little Hominy anticline (Happy Hollow and
Lee domes and Thirty-six anticline) in T. 24 N., R. 8 E. ; most of
the N. 2 sec. 25, the SW. I sec. 24, and the N. z sec. 23 lie on
the floor or lower slopes of that syncline and should be
avoided.
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'170 OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLA.
The E. z sec. 33, T. 24 N., R. 8 E., bears an analogous relation
to the synclinal basin east of the Falls anticline. The SW. 1 sec.
19, the NW. 1 sec. 9, all of secs. 1 and 2, and all except the
northern margin of sec. 3, T. 24 N., R. 8 E., appear distinctly
unpromising. In T. 25 N., R. 8 E., the synclinal basins beneath
secs. 12 and 13, the E. -?,secs. 11 and 14, and secs. 25, 26, 35,
and 36 place those districts in the same category. The E. 2 sec. 32
and the SW. 1 sec. 28 should likewise be avoided.